ABILENE, Texas — ACU saw a seventh consecutive loss on Monday on the road as they fell to the UT Arlington Mavericks, 3-0.
The Wildcats fell in three sets 21-25, 17-25 and 19-25
In the first set, the Wildcats were able to keep it close with the No. 1 team in the Western Athletic Conference, but the Mavericks' two 3-0 runs and a 4-0 run helped them keep a distance from the Wildcats.
The Wildcats were able to start the match with a 4-3 lead, but a 6-0 run helped UTA gain some distance. ACU gained some ground with a 5-0 run of their own while hitting .217 in the set, but the Mavericks' .500 hitting percentage in the set allowed them to take the second set.
ACU gained an early 5-3 lead in the third set, but a five-point swing by UTA allowed them to take control. Ultimately, ACU hit a match low of .057 in the set, allowing UTA to take the match in three sets.
ACU finished the match hitting .143 percent while UTA finished hitting .294 on the match. That's not where the advantages ended for UTA, with the 'Cats trailing the Mavericks in kills (32-43), aces (five to seven), blocks (three to five), assists (37 to 27) and digs (41 to 37).
Bryley Steinhilber led the 'Cats with nine kills and two aces in the match. Nieko Thomas led ACU with two blocks. Madeline Guffy led with 18 assists and Abby Christian finished with 11 digs.
Up next, the Wildcats return for their final two home games this season. First, the Wildcats will take on the Utah Valley Wolverines on Thursday at 6 p.m. for Hawaiian Night. The game will also air live on ESPN+.
If you can't catch the match in person or on ESPN+, you can also receive updates by following the team on social media on Instagram, X, Facebook and acusports.com.
#Unshakeable #GoWildcats
